I must admit I didn’t know what to make of the folly coming out of the nominations made by the Wake County Democratic Party to the Wake County Board of Elections. The N&O just left me with too many questions:
- Why would the Wake County Democratic Party choose, as one of their three nominees, someone (Alexander Killens) who has a criminal conviction?
- Why would the Democratic Party’s county chairman suggest that the State Party could reappoint the former member (John Gilbert) who, incidentally wasn’t even nominated, instead of appointing Killens? Remember, the county party had made three nominations for two seats.
- And, why does the N&O write an article essentially overlooking the two women nominated, concentrating on Killens and feature the suggestion by Wake Democratic Party Chairman that Gilbert could be reappointed? The N&O does not stop there but goes on to endorse Gilbert’s reappointment in an editorial.
I still don’t know the answers to any of these questions but, I think I know why John Gilbert didn’t make it to this year’s nomination roster. It looks like he crossed somebody in the verified voting crowd when he allowed a pilot of the Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) in Cary in 2007. Never mind that the North Carolina State Board of Elections sanctioned the pilot and the Town of Cary agreed to it.
It’s not clear (yet) as to whether Aida Doss Havel and Sharon Everett are advocates for the verified voting cause. But, it will be interesting to see who the North Carolina Democratic Party nominates.
Aida Doss Havel is an attorney as well as an election judge.
Sharon Everett has served well on the Wake BoE without controversy.
Here’s one major muckup by the Wake BoE:
Mall voting without the BoE negotiating permission for electioneering and or freedom of expression. Both Wake DEM and GOP held a bi partisan protest:
http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/1259641.html
Having an attorney who also has served as an election judge may help avoid messes like this.
As for the repeated complaining over one of the nominees – Havel and Everette were the top two vote getters – that is who the SBoE will pick.
Also, a former Wake BoE member was treated pretty roughly, and quit because of the hassel. Publicly shouting at and berating members of a board is really not the type of behavior that should be rewarded.
It is very likely that Republicans do not grieve over the exit of one democrat. Be glad that the board will now consist of people not willing to experiment with your votes.
As for the SBoE approving the pilot, no – it was the state legislature who approved the Instant runoff voting pilot, and it was clearly a matter of politics. They didn’t even understand what they were approving. The fact is, IRV cannot be conducted within current NC election laws – it requires hauling votes away from where they are cast – to be counted later on. A violation of the law. IRV votes cannot be reported on election night as regular votes can. There is no certified software to count IRV, but risky work arounds are considered.
Cary tried IRV one time and ditched it. I guess they really are above average in Cary after all.
Don’t assume that the SBoE always has good ideas, either. It was the State Board of Elections was responsible for spreading paperless voting across our state, however, and it took alot of time and money to clean that up, after seeing 4,400 votes lost on paperless machines in Carteret Co.
For those not happy with the nominations to the Wake BoE board, how about volunteering the next go round? Unless you are just to busy or not qualified. Truth is there weren’t alot of volunteers – its a tough job, it is thankless, and it is demanding.
Wake Dems had a chance to vote for 4 candidates, they had two top vote getters, and one very low vote getter.
Sorry.Clarification needed. John Gilbert did not “allow” an instant runoff pilot for Cary. He worked hard to lobby for the adoption of the pilot. Officials there felt rushed into it.
Gilbert is an IRV advocate who even went to Minnesota to promote it there, leaning on his title of Wake BOE chairman.
Even Cary voters didn’t “get” IRV
According to their 2008 bi annual survey:
30.6% did not understand IRV
22.0% did not understand IRV at all
http://www.townofcary.org/depts/pio/biennialsurvey/html/2008BiennialSurveyReport.htm
Consider that Cary has the most Ph.D.s per capita in the U.S. for towns larger than 75,000 people.
Here is what one Cary Town Council member said about IRV in the April 30 meeting where they shut the door on a 2nd pilot:
DON FRANTZ:
“Most people said they preferred that we stick with what we’ve got. … Stick with our traditional non partisan…
When our town agreed to IRV in 2007, it was kind of rush job..
There was a lot of pushback, the public wasn’t involved …
When we look at doing something differently, there has to be a reason… whats Cary going to get…how is this going to make things better…
I like the fact that that traditional elections, no matter how many candidates you have in the race, the top two have a month to go at it. You might have your favorite, it doesn’t make the instant runoff… you didn’t know who to rank… but once you know who the top two candidates are… I don’t think it’s that broke… I don’t’ think we really need to focus on fixing it…”
NCvoter has had it in for Dr. Gilbert because of the IRV method. The data shows after Cary voters left the polls using the iRV method, 70% found IRV was easy to use and had no issue, 30% said it was new and a little confusing from what they were use to. That does NOT mean it was bad. 70%? That’s pretty damn great!
IRV would have saved voters time and taxpayer money as well as allowing more voters to have a say in the final tally. Traditionally, runoff elections only draw a fraction of the voters who don’t want to have to go vote again a month later. This allows a tiny percentage to decide who’s elected. IRV ain’t perfect but its a hell of a lot more democratic and American.
First,
I wonder if Red Clay Citizen was just as curious why the NC GOP would elect a First Vice Chair who just admited to the Convention that he was previously convicted of assault on his wife, and who’s accedemic credentials have been widely questioned.
As to Dr. Gilbert, a good man, but frankly, it was his treatment of a fellow BoE member that I found disqualifying. On IRV, instead of being a impartial administrator, he declared a pilot was not a test, but merely leading the way for something you know works, and continual acted as an advocate often ignoring or misreading facts.
Since only two of the three nominees get selected, I assumed that Mr. Killiens would not likely be among those two.
As to Cary IRV pilot, 30% confusion on how to vote is way, way to high, as well, votes have to be moved before they are counted, which violates basic princible of election integrity. Count votes before they are moved.
As well, traditionally, municipal runoff electins actually increase turnout, IRV does not save money if you do it right because of education costs, and their is not always a runoff.
It also increases voter information costs and forces them into a choice before they know what the choice is. It results well over 90% of the time are the same as the orginal plurality, and our election equipement is in no way capable of handling it. It would work better if we had a european parlimentary system, where you only vote once, and for the party, not the individual in each office. It is hardly more ‘democratic’ or more ‘American.
It is a well intentioned idea that fails to deliver as promised.